Sheet feeding means for a collator



Sept. 28, 1965 L. MESTRE SHEET FEEDING MEANS FOR A COLLATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1963 INVENTOR LUIS MESTRE BY W-W Z ATTORNEY.

Sept. 28, 1965 L. MESTRE 3,208,746

SHEET FEEDING MEANS FOR A COLLATOR Filed March 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LUIS MESTRE ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,208,746 SHEET FEEDING MEANS FOR A 'COLLATOR Luis Mestre, 305 E. 46th 'St., New York, N.Y.

Filed Mar. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 262,583

1 Claim. (Cl. 27136) The invention relates to a sheet feeding means for a collator which projects the top sheet of a pile of sheets carried in a sheet pocket for the collator far enough so that other sheet feeding means may take over and complete the withdrawal of the sheet and transport the sheet to other parts of the collator. A collator has a plurality of sheet pockets and a sheet feeding means is provided for each pocket. The collator, for maximum utility, is constructed to collate sheets of many different widths, although collating sheets of one width at one time. The sheet feeding means to be described is con structed to efficiently feed a wide range of widths in the sheets to be collated. To this end rolls of the sheet feeding means which engage and initially feed the top sheet in a pile of sheets, are adjustable as to their position laterally or crosswise of the sheet and may be easily and quickly adjusted or removed for replacement. For sheets of greater width the feed roll may be easily and quickly removed and replaced by an equivalent part having a wider lateral span.

An object of the invention is to construct a sheet feeding means for a collator which is adjustable laterally to accommodate different widths of sheet.

Another object is to construct a sheet feeding means for a collator which can be quickly and easily adjusted laterally for different widths of the pile of sheets.

Another object is to construct a sheet feeding means in which the sheet feed rolls are easily and quickly removable and replaceable.

Other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in section of three of the pockets of the collator and the driving mechanism for rotating the sheet feed rolls;

FIG. 2 is a view, taken online 22 of FIG. 1, of the sheet feeding means and the mechanism for rotating the feed rolls;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the feed roll sleeve;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4, showing the locking means in locked position;

FIG. 6 is a cross section similar to FIG. 5 with the locking means and the feed roll sleeve in unlocked position;

FIG. 7 is a view in reduced size of a longer replaceable feed roll sleeve.

The sheet feeding means to be described is shown particularly for a collator in which the sheet pockets are fixed and positioned in vertical alignment, as described in application of Luis Mestre, S.N. 191,141, filed April 30, 1962, Patent 3,108,797, dated October 29, 1963, though the sheet feeding means may be used with sheet pockets of other styles of collators. Each sheet feeding means engages the top sheet of a pile of sheets in its pocket and feed roll means is rotated to advance the top sheet longitudinally of the pile of sheets in the pocket far enough so that other sheet feeding means engages the projecting sheet and continues with the withdrawal of the sheet from the pocket.

The collator has a suitable frame 10 on which is mounted a plurality of vertically disposed sheet pockets formed particularly by spaced and inclined shelves 11, on which sheets S are supported in sheet feeding position.

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Above each shelf, and shown particularly as being carried by the under side of the next shelf above, arm means 12 is carried pivotally mounted at one end on a pivot shaft 13 mounted in a bracket 14 secured to the under side of the shelf above and a bracket 14a secured to the frame. The other end of the arm means carries sheet feeding means.

The sheet feeding means for each pocket is the same and includes a roll, to be described hereinafter, which is rotated in any suitable manner, such as by a chain 17 which passes around a sprocket 18 secured on the pivot shaft 13. The pivot shaft 13 is rotated through a one direction clutch of any suitable construction, that shown including a pawl plate 19 carrying a pawl 20 on a pawl pin 21, which pawl engages a ratchet wheel 22 which is secured to the pivot shaft 13. The pawl plate is secured to and rotated by a pinion 25 which meshes with a segmental gear 26 pivotally mounted on the frame by a pivot 27. The segmental gear carries a cam follower 28 spaced from the pivot 27 which follower engages in a cam slot 29 carried by a cam bar 30. A cam slot is provided in the cam bar for each pocket. The cam bar is slidable vertically on the frame 10 by suitable mounting means. The cam bar is moved vertically once for each cycle of operation of the collator by links 31 and 32 connected with a cam 33 carried by a drive shaft 34.

Upward movement of the cam bar passes the cam follower 28 through the operating portion 29a of the cam slot and pivots the segmental gear 26 in a clockwise direction which rotates the pinion 25, the pawl plate 19 and pawl 20 in a counter-clockwise direction to rotate the ratchet wheel 22 and pivot shaft in the same direction. This rotates the sprocket 18 in a counter-clockwise direction to feed the top sheet to the right, FIG. 1, with respect to the underlying sheets in the pocket. Return movement downwardly of the cam bar reverses the direction of rotation of the segmental gear, pinion, pawl plate and pawl; however, the pawl 20 rides over the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and no movement is transmitted to the sheet feed means in this movement.

The sheet feeding means includes a pair of sheet feeding rolls 36, two of which are shown. Each sheet feeding roll is carried on a sleeve 37 having a bore 38 therein. Locking means are carried by the sleeve, which means include at least one locking pin 39, two being shown on opposite sides of the sleeve, which are mounted for radial movement in holes 40 carried by the sleeve. Spring means in the form of a spring bar or wire 41 for each locking pin are secured at one end to the sleeve by a screw 42 and the other end of the spring bar engages a slot 43 in the locking pin. This spring means or spring bars 41 propel the locking pin 39 radially inwardly.

Unlocking means are provided on the sleeve to propel the locking pins outwardly, which means includes a camming member 46 having a slot 47, which slot is received in a groove 48 carried by the sleeve. The camming member has a notch 49 for each locking pin so that with two pins, a pair of oppositely disposed notches are shown. The notches have an inclined surface 50 at the bottom thereof, which surface engages its spring bar 41. The notches with the spring bar serves to retain the camming member on the sleeve. Pressing the camming member 46 to the left, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, propels the spring bars or wires 41 and their attached locking pins 39 outwardly, as viewed in FIG. 6, which moves the locking pins radially outwardly so that their inner ends are clear of the sleeve bore 38.

One such sleeve is mounted on each end of a roll shaft 53. This shaft is rotatably mounted in the other end of the arm means 12 and is secured in place by a collar 54 secured to the shaft and by a sprocket 53 secured to the shaft which sprocket receives and is rotated by the chain 17. The sprockets 25 and 55 and chain 17 provide a drive connection between the pivot shaft and the roll shaft. The roll shaft carries socket means for receiving the locking means or pins, the socket means shown being a hole 56 through the shaft. A similar socket means is provided in a like hole 57 through the roll shaft spaced from the hole or socket means 56.

With the locking pins engaging in a socket means, the sleeves 37 are releasably anchored to the roll shaft 53 and it, the sleeves and the feed rolls 36 rotate with the shaft. By pressing the camming member 46 to the left,

as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6, the locking pins 39 are moved outwardly and removed from the socket means 56, whereupon the sleeve and the sheet feeding rolls 36 may be moved axially outwardly on the roll shaft 53 so that the locking pins 39 may be inserted into the socket means 57, thereby spacing the feed rolls apart a greater distance for a pile of sheets of greater width. FIG. 7 shows a sleeve means for wider sheets which replace the shorter one. It is clear that additional socket means or holes may be provided in the roll shaft between the socket means 56 and 57.

It is clear that by releasing the locking pins from the socket means, as described, the sleeve 37 may be removed from the ends of the roll shaft and substituted by sleeves of greater length, as shown in FIG. 7, for sheets of even greater width. Such long sleeves may carry additional feed rolls as desired, two being shown.

The sheet feed rolls may be raised above the pile of sheets shown in FIG. 1 and latched in raised position by a latch 60 carried by each shelf 11. With the sheet feeding rolls raised in this fashion, sheets may be inserted into the pocket. Likewise if a pocket does not contain any sheets to be fed, the feed rolls are latched in raised position and are not in contact with the shelf so that they may rotate freely without wearing the surfaces of the feed rolls.

This invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in sheet feeding means for a collator. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefiting from the teachings of the invention. This disclosure illustrates the preferred means embodying the invention in useful form.

I claim:

A sheet feeding means for a collator pocket comprising a roll shaft having ends, means mounting the roll shaft for rotation and for movement into contact with a pile of sheets in the pocket, drive means carried by the roll shaft between its ends, socket means carried by each end of the roll shaft including at least one socket for each socket means, a sleeve slidably received on each end of the roll shaft, a roller carried by each sleeve, locking means retractably mounted on each sleeve and engaging each socket to anchor the sleeve to the roll shaft including a locking pin for each socket, spring means engaging each locking pin to propel the same radially into its socket including a spring bar secured at one end to the sleeve and the other end engaging the locking pin, and unlocking means including a camming member slidably mounted on the sleeve and having a notch for each spring bar, and a camming surface at the bottom of the notch and engaging the spring bar to cam the locking pin outwardly and retain the unlocking means on the sleeve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,086,120 2/14 Allen 271-51 2,260,045 10/41 Morrison et a1. 27136 3,063,711 11/62 Springer 271-36 ROBERT B. REEVES, Acting Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, SAMUEL F. COLEMAN,

Examiners. 

